


Under False Pretences

by scorperion21



Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Scorbus Fest 2020, Sort Of, Strangers to Lovers, albus severus potter pov, creature healer!scorpius, don't worry they are all okay in the end!, magizoologist!albus, small descriptions of injured animals, they are soft for all time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26121139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scorperion21/pseuds/scorperion21
Summary: Albus Potter is a highly trained magizoologist, but he's not opposed to a little help from a Creature Healer every now and again if absolutely necessary...Scorpius Malfoy doesn't need to know that the only reason Albus keeps calling on him is because of his all-consuming crush. Does he?Based on the fantastic prompt from Shipperysails-BookofSpells!
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 18
Kudos: 52
Collections: Scorbus Fest 2020





	Under False Pretences

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Scorbus Fest 2020 from this prompt by Shipperysails-BookofSpells: "Albus is a Magizoologist and Scorpius is a creature healer who often comes by the menagerie to tend to sick/injured creatures.
> 
> Scorpius thinks Albus is really paranoid about the health of the creatures he looks after because he calls on Scorpius daily. "I have a bowtruckle with hiccups, I really think you should take a look at him. "
> 
> However the real reason Albus keeps calling is because he's trying to work up the courage to ask Scorpius out on a date."
> 
> This is my first year participating in Scorbus Fest and I've really loved it, thanks so much to the organisers! Thanks to Evie (evie_adams273) too for beta-ing this fic, I really appreciate it!

_I’m going to do it today._

It’s the first thought that crosses Albus Potter’s mind when he wakes up. 

_You’re not though_ _,_ _are you?_

A small, quiet whisper follows the thought as Albus climbs out of bed and heads towards his kitchen in search of cereal and coffee. 

_Shut up. I will._

He thinks loudly, defiantly, as though he’s not been having this same mental conversation with himself for weeks. 

To be exact, he’s been having this same conversation inside his head for three weeks and four days. He knows that’s how long it’s been because it has also been three weeks and four days since Albus Potter set eyes on Scorpius Malfoy for the very first time. 

\- - - _Three_ _weeks and four days ago - - -_

Albus loves his job. He really does. He often thinks about himself at school - a little on the outside, angry at the world and struggling to find his place – and wishes he could go back and tell his younger self that everything works out for him. 

Almost as soon as he left Hogwarts, he got a job at the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley, and now he gets to spend all his time with animals (which he loves). Even though he also has to deal with the general public (which he loves slightly less), his boss, a kind middle-aged witch called Willow, frequently allows him to stay in the back with animals who are ill, timid, or who are not quite ready to be out in a public space. 

He doesn’t mean to brag but he is the best at calming down frightened animals. 

(Maybe he does mean to brag a bit). 

However, it’s just him and Willow today so he is out front, but it’s mid-week and not too busy so he doesn’t really mind. 

“Mr Potter?” a small, timid voice comes from behind Albus and he turns to look at the small boy who frequents the shop with his parents. Albus is very fond of him – he is very calm and gentle when handling the animals, and is endlessly fascinated by what Albus tells him in answer to the many questions he dogs Albus with. Albus thinks he likes him because he’s one of the only people that doesn’t come in the shop and immediately gawks at him as a member of the Potter family. 

“Hi Noah, is everything okay?” Albus asks, smiling kindly and looking down at Noah. 

“I think you need to come and see.” Noah says, taking the edge of Albus’s sleeve in his hand and tugging. 

“Okay.” Albus obediently follows, stumbling slightly under Noah’s surprisingly vice-like grip. “What’s wrong?” 

“We were leaving and I don’t think Coralia is very well.” Noah says, naming the bright pink Fwooper who often sits in the window of the shop. 

“What? What’s wrong with her?” Albus says, panic quickly rising in him. He has a huge soft spot for Coralia, as she actually belongs to Willow so is always around. He also knows how upset Willow will be if anything happened to her. 

“She flew down to the window but her wing looks a bit funny.” Noah says, finally coming to a stop at the window and where his parents are clustered around the perch that Coralia frequents. 

“Hi, can I get through please?” Albus asks. He realises he might sound a bit rude so he offers a genuine but hurried smile as he slips past Noah’s mum and dad and into the window display. 

“Hi, sweet girl, how are you doing?” Albus says to Coralia softly, stroking her head with the back of his finger. Coralia blinks her large round eyes at him and sings a few mournful notes. He holds his arm out to her, and she shuffles off the perch to stand obediently on his forearm. 

“Let’s have a look at that wing hey?” he continues, taking his wand out of his pocket to cast a diagnostic spell. 

“It was her wrong wing.” Noah pipes up suddenly, and Albus looks at him in confusion. 

“He means left.” Noah’s mum whispers helpfully, and Albus nods in understanding whilst trying to hide the smile that wants to break free. 

“Thank you.” Albus says to Noah, before turning back to Coralia and raising his wand. He casts the spell, and a pale blue light does indeed float toward Coralia’s left wing, right where the top meets her shoulder. 

“I think you’re right, Noah, looks like she’s hurt her wing. Thank you.” Albus says gratefully, stepping carefully out of the window display with Coralia still swaying on his arm. 

“Are you going to be able to fix her?” Noah asks fearfully, and Albus nods. 

“I’m going to have to send for a Creature Healer but I’m sure she’ll be okay.” he says reassuringly and Noah smiles toothily. 

“That’s good. Can we wait?” 

“No, we’ve got to get going but we can come and check on her tomorrow.” Noah’s dad says, and Albus nods along. 

“Of course, come back tomorrow and I’m sure she’ll be fine!” Albus says, waving with his free hand and hurrying off to find Willow. He spots her speaking to what looks like a Hogwarts-starter, an owl blinking sleepily on her shoulder, and Albus can’t help but smile even though he’s still worried about Coralia. He is strongly reminded of going to pick out Fleamont, his owl, from this very shop – it was one of the best Hogwarts days he had with his family. 

As soon as he approaches, Willow looks up at him, and he sees concern cloud her vision as she clocks Coralia on his arm. 

“I’ll be right back.” Willow says in her customer service voice, perfected after so many years, and carefully deposits the owl back onto it’s perch before walking over to Albus. “Is she okay?” 

Albus shakes his head. “She’s hurt her wing somehow. I was just going to take her in the back and call a Creature Healer. I didn’t know if you wanted to do it instead?” 

“It’s okay; I trust you.” Willow says quietly after examining Coralia’s wing herself for a second. Albus ducks his head slightly out of embarrassment. He has never done well with taking compliments. “You’ll be okay with Albus, won’t you?” Willow adds, stroking the top of Coralia’s head. She trills at Coralia, which Albus takes to mean she’ll be fine. 

“Okay, I’ll take her.” 

“Thank you Albus. Come and find me when the Healer’s been?” 

“Of course!” Albus says, trying for a reassuring smile, before making his way to the back room of the shop. 

He sets Coralia down onto the perch they have for her, and takes his wand from his pocket. He doesn’t think he would ever be brave enough to admit this aloud to anyone, but he is still a bit nervous every time he has to perform a Patronus, just in case he can’t get it right. It’s the quickest way to call a Creature Healer though, just in case they’re out and about and can’t answer a Floo call. 

Albus calls to mind the day he found out he got this job and whispers the incantation. He can’t help but feel a little relief at the sight of the silver albatross bursting forth from his wand. The albatross blinks at him expectantly and Albus clears his throat slightly. “Please can you get a Creature Healer from the sanctuary? Tell them we’ve got an injured Fwooper in need of attention. It’s the menagerie in Diagon Alley.” 

The albatross spreads its wings wide before taking off out the window. Albus hopes it doesn’t take long for someone to come. 

He goes over to fuss Coralia, careful of her injured wing, and is startled back into reality when the beaded curtain that separates the back room from rest of the shop parts with a clatter. 

“Hello, did you send for a Healer?” a soft, slightly posh voice sounds from behind him. 

“Yes, I did. Thanks for coming so quickly!” Albus says, turning around. The Healer stood before him is not someone Albus is familiar with; he thought had met everyone that worked at the sanctuary (they cooperate quite often with their lines of work being so similar) but he doesn’t know this man. 

Albus is struck, immediately, by how tall the man is, and then takes in the rest of his appearance and feels a fluttering in his stomach that has nothing to do with his nerves about Coralia. He feels guilty, then, because he knows they should be. He can’t help it though – the man’s face is all angles; high cheek bones, sharp nose and pointed chin. His blond hair is parted neatly to one side, and curls ever so slightly at the nape of his neck. Albus is taken most of all by the warm brown eyes that seem to sparkle with a smile even though the boy’s expression is a look of concern. 

“It’s okay. Scorpius Malfoy, at your service.” the man – _Scorpius -_ does smile a wide, genuine smile then, and the butterflies in Albus’ tummy turn into Hippogriffs. Albus would _definitely_ remember if he had seen that smile before. “Is that the patient?” Scorpius continues, nodding in Coralia’s direction. 

“Oh, yes! This is Coralia.” Albus says, moving aside so that Scorpius can get past him. 

“Oh, like from the ballet!” Scorpius enthuses as he approaches Coralia. 

“Ballet?” Albus asks, confused. The Potter family may have bonded more in the past couple of years, but they’re not as cultured as the _Prophet_ likes to make out. The only ballet he knows is the Nutcracker, and he doesn’t recall any of the characters being called Coralia. He could be wrong though – he wouldn’t put it past Willow to name her Fwooper after a character from a ballet. 

“There’s a nineteenth century ballet with a dancing mermaid in it called Coralia.” Scorpius murmurs, taking out his wand from the satchel he’s carrying. 

“Oh. I thought it was just because of her colour.” Albus says, and then feels his cheeks warming a little as he realises that that might be quite a childish thing to say. 

“Actually, that makes sense.” Scorpius says with a laugh, looking over to him for a second. Albus smiles a small smile and Scorpius smiles back. The butterflies flutter back into Albus’ tummy too. 

“Let’s see what’s wrong with you then, hey?” Scorpius says softly to Coralia, and Albus settles into a chair, hoping that Scorpius doesn’t think it’s weird that he’s staying here. 

As he works, Scorpius murmurs gentle words that Albus can’t really hear, but he knows that whatever it is must be encouraging as Coralia stays silent and still on her perch. Scorpius looks her over, twirling his wand every so often and muttering to himself. Albus finds it all extremely endearing. 

“Is Coralia yours, then?” Scorpius asks after a couple of silent minutes. 

Albus is startled for a second; the Creature Healers that have been in previously to tend to one animal or another are never really up for small talk. 

“She isn’t, she’s actually Willow's. She owns the menagerie.” Albus supplies. 

“Oh, yes I think I saw her. She looked a bit harried, that makes sense if Coralia is hers.” Scorpius nods along, taking a length of bandage out of his Healer bag. 

“Yes, I think she’s a bit worried. Although she would protest violently if she heard us saying that she owns Coralia. Willow says that no one really _owns_ an animal. She says that they are their own being and we are simply the privileged person who has been allowed to look after them.” Albus says. He can feel his cheeks heating up slightly with a blush as he realises how long he has been talking. He doesn’t want to distract Scorpius from his work. 

Scorpius doesn’t seem to mind though, as he lets out a small murmur of agreement. “I like that! It is _definitely_ a privilege to be able to look after an animal.” 

Albus nods enthusiastically. “I certainly feel lucky every morning I wake up, even if Lucifer is sitting on my belly. Lucifer is my cat.” Albus adds hastily at the look of confusion on Scorpius’ face. It clears, quickly, and he lets out a laugh. 

“Oh yeah, not a day goes by without me waking up to my cat sitting on a spare bit of limb she can find. Her name is Pudding.” 

“Adorable.” Albus says with a smile, and Scorpius smiles at him briefly before turning back to Coralia. He taps the top of her now-bandaged wing with a burst of yellow light from his wand. 

“All done.” he says after that, turning to Albus with another charming smile. 

“What’s the prognosis doc?” Albus asks, and then immediately feels like the world's biggest prat. Those words have never once come out of his mouth before. Scorpius, thankfully, seems to ignore it. 

“I think she’s just overstretched her muscles. The spell should stop any pain for a short while, but I suggest you keep her from flying as much as you can for the next couple of days so it can heal properly.” 

“Thank you. I will.” Albus says gratefully, sincerely. Coralia, as though in deliberate protest of both his and Scorpius’ words, takes off from her perch and flies a couple of laps around the room before settling up in the rafters. 

“Well, that looks like it’s going to be a job easier said than done.” Albus says, looking up at Coralia with a sigh. He thinks that if it’s possible for a Fwooper to look smug then that’s what her expression is right now. 

Scorpius laughs. “Yes, I certainly don’t envy you that job! I’ll be back on Friday to check on her. I should be able to remove the bandage then too.” 

“Thank you.” Albus says again. 

“It’s okay.” Scorpius is nearly out of the room before he turns back round. “Oh, I didn’t get your name?” 

“Oh! I’m Albus.” 

Scorpius smiles his dimpled, butterfly inducing smile again. “It was very nice to meet you Albus.” 

\- - - _Three days later - - -_

Albus would never tell a single soul this but he has been looking forward to today since the moment Scorpius stepped out of the menagerie with the promise that he would be back to check on Coralia. He is truly hoping to share another conversation with the Healer, and perhaps learn more about his life and whether there is someone else in it aside from Pudding (Albus is also desperate to find out where _that_ name came from). 

He feels slightly silly, but he pays more attention to what he looks like as he springs out of bed. He thinks that his standard work uniform is actually okay, they’re just plain dark green robes, but spending seven years clad mainly in that colour means that Albus feels comfortable and knows that he can actually pull it off. He remembers Rose saying, on the day of the Sorting, that Slytherin was the perfect fit for him because green went well with his eyes and darker complexion. He thinks she was being nice, but he appreciated it all the same. 

He spends quite a lot longer on his hair, brushing it one way and then the other, trying to make it look effortless. Needless to say, it doesn’t work. He’s spent nearly twenty years trying to tame the mop on his head with little triumph. He turns away from the mirror, not extremely satisfied but he knows that he looks okay. He doesn’t even really mind that he looks even more like his dad now that he has to wear glasses (needless to say, they are _not_ round frames). 

He Floos to work, just barely missing Willow as he shoots out of the other end. 

“You’re early today!” she comments, as she helps him up off the floor. 

“Having breakfast here.” Albus says, which is technically not a lie. 

Willow doesn’t say anything, but raises one of her eyebrows at him and he knows that she doesn’t believe him anyway. 

Albus isn’t sure what time Scorpius is coming, so he’s distracted for most of the day; looking up at the door every time he hears it open. He’s fairly certain he can hear Willow laughing at him every time he does. The day excruciatingly ticks on, and finally, _finally_ , when Albus looks up at the sound of the door mid-afternoon, Scorpius is walking through the door with his Healer bag in his hand. 

Albus feels ridiculous at the involuntary smile that spreads across his face and the funny little skip his heart does. He immediately abandons the cage he was cleaning out and makes his way over to Scorpius. 

“Hi!” he says, reaching the Healer who is peering gleefully into a cage of pygmy puffs. 

“Oh, hello Albus!” Scorpius turns to him, and Albus glows under the light of Scorpius’ smile. “How’s Coralia doing?” 

“Lots better, thanks! I think she’s miserable from not being able to fly but I’m hoping she’ll be able to now.” Albus says, crossing his fingers briefly, and leading Scorpius to the backroom where Willow has been shielding Coralia for the last couple of days. 

“Hey there again.” Scorpius says, approaching Coralia. She ruffles her feathers at him and blinks reproachfully. Albus thinks it’s because she knows he’s the one that stopped her flying. 

“So how long have you worked here?” Scorpius asks as he works, opening up his Healer bag and taking out his wand. 

Albus is startled for a second; he thought that Scorpius would begin by looking over Coralia again. Their conversation is starting a lot earlier than last time. Albus hopes it’s because Scorpius has been looking forward to coming back here as much as Albus has. “Nearly three years – since I left Hogwarts. How long have you been a Healer?” 

“I became fully qualified this year but I’ve been training since I left school.” 

“What school did you go to?” Albus asks interestedly; he knows that if Scorpius had gone to Hogwarts than he would have noticed him, even if they had been in different houses. 

“Oh, I went to Beauxbatons. My parents moved to France just after I was born.” 

“That’s cool, I always wondered what other wizarding schools were like!” Albus says, and Scorpius turns to him with a smile. 

“I’ll have to tell you about it some time then.” 

“I’d like that.” Albus says softly, taking himself by surprise, and Scorpius holds his gaze for a second before turning back to Coralia. 

Albus fidgets with his fingers slightly; he feels like this moment calls for more talking, but he cannot think of a single thing to say. He wishes he were better with people, but he finds that in groups he always lets someone else take the lead so that in situations like this he never knows how to begin a conversation. He thinks that that is a fundamental flaw for a twenty-year-old, especially one like him who works with people most days. Before he manages to even think of something mundane, Scorpius is unravelling the bandage from Coralia’s wing. 

“She’s all sorted. Healed nicely, but feel free to call me back if you notice it getting it worse again.” he says, re-rolling the bandage and dropping it back into his Healer bag. 

“Of course, will do. Thank you so much.” Albus says gratefully, crossing the room to stand next to Scorpius and fuss over Coralia. He is inwardly cursing himself for the failure of a conversation. 

“You’re very good with animals.” Scorpius says, making no attempt to leave despite the fact he said he’s finished, and Albus feels himself blush. 

“Thank you. Sometimes I think I understand them more than I understand other people.” Albus feels a little embarrassed at admitting that, until Scorpius let’s out a small laugh. 

“I know _exactly_ how you feel.” he says, and Albus chances a glance to the side to see Scorpius smiling at him. Albus smiles widely back. 

“I’ve got to go,” Scorpius’ voice is soft and he sounds almost disappointed (although Albus supposes that he might projecting a little), “there’s a pregnant unicorn due this afternoon and they need my assistance.” 

“Okay. Good luck with the unicorn. See you soon.” Albus says. 

“Oh I hope not!” Scorpius says, and Albus feels his heart crash down into his feet. 

“Oh, um. Okay.” 

Scorpius’ eyes widen comically then. “Oh my gosh! I just meant that if I had to come again it’s because another animal would be sick. It’s not about _you_ , I would really like to see _you_ again, I just meant it would be much better if none of the animals were ill–” 

Scorpius is practically tripping over his words to rectify his mistake, and Albus finds himself smiling as relief flutters though him. Scorpius specifically said he’d like to see him again! 

“It’s okay, Scorpius I understand. I’ll see you soon, hopefully in better circumstances.” 

“Yes, exactly.” Scorpius is smiling at him hopefully and Albus finds himself tongue tied. He thinks he should ask if Scorpius wants to go for coffee or something (but what if Scorpius doesn’t like coffee? And they’ve literally met twice, is it too soon? What if Scorpius doesn’t even _like_ men that way, and he just wants some friends in England?) but the words die on his tongue as more doubts and worries flash across his thoughts. 

“I’ll let you know how Coralia gets on.” he says instead, and Scorpius’ smile dips slightly. 

“Thanks. Bye Albus.” Scorpius strokes Coralia’s head, turns on the spot, and then he’s gone. Albus feels like he might have missed his chance for something great. 

\- - - _Present day - - -_

And so, Albus has been trying to pluck up the courage to ask Scorpius out on a date since then. He has called the Healer to the menagerie so many times since that day that Willow has been joking that they should get a loyalty card for the sanctuary. 

If Albus is being honest, not every excuse he’s used to get Scorpius over has been legit and he’s surprised Scorpius hasn’t seen through it yet. From the subsequent conversations they’ve had whilst Scorpius has been looking over the almost always healthy animals, Albus can tell that Scorpius is one of the smartest people he’s ever met. 

As Albus gets ready for the day, he mentally notes all the reasons he’s used to get Scorpius over so far, lest he reuses one and makes an even bigger fool of himself. He’s had a molting kneazle, a double-ended newt with no appetite, a niffler with a cold and a demiguise who stopped turning invisible. Even though these _were_ all problems, they were all definitely things that Albus, Willow or one of the other menagerie workers would be equipped and skilled enough to help with. It’s just that Albus decided to call on Scorpius the first time hoping that he would pluck up the courage to ask him on a date. 

Alas, they had talked – but mostly about their families. Scorpius had told Albus about his mum and dad, and more escapades about Pudding, whilst Albus imparted the complicated Potter-Weasley-Granger-Lupin-whatever family tree onto an enthusiastic Scorpius. He hadn’t even got round to the date bit before Scorpius was called away on another job that was definitely more pressing. 

So, Albus had called him back again, and several more times since then, but has not succeeded in his plan. Although, he’s not entirely unhappy with the situation as he _has_ got to know a lot more about Scorpius in the meantime. 

They’ve talked more about their respective schools, elaborated more on their families and discussed mundane every day wizarding things like their favourite Quidditch teams and how they think the Ministry is handling the current economic crisis (well, Albus had started talking about it but Scorpius point blank refused to join in, just in case he offended Albus by criticizing one of his many ministry-working family members). So, it’s not exactly been groundbreaking stuff, but Albus has still enjoyed their conversations, and he’s been keeping a tally of how many times he’s managed to make Scorpius laugh. Something which is, somehow, even more remarkable than his smile. 

After a quick breakfast, Albus floos to work, tumbling out onto the other side of the network into the empty backroom of the menagerie. He dusts himself off quickly and heads out into the front. 

“Good morning Albus! I need you out front today please, it’s just the two of us again.” Willow says by way of greeting. 

“Okay, sure.” Albus nods along, secretly pleased; it means that if there is another half reason to call on Scorpius again then he will be around to see the Healer. 

He works diligently for the whole morning, cleaning out cages and restocking shelves of food, bedding, and treats, and allows himself to think about Scorpius precisely seven times only. He thinks that if it’s anymore than nothing will stop him from marching over to the sanctuary himself. 

He’s just thinking about the last time Scorpius was here, and the conversation they were having about their favourite school subjects (Scorpius’ were Astronomy and History of Magic, Albus’ were Potions and Herbology – although not surprisingly they both said Care of Magical Creatures first) when Noah comes to seek him out. 

“Mr Potter? Why is this bowtruckle making this funny noise?” he asks, looking at Albus with large, questioning eyes. 

“What funny noise?” Albus replies with a frown, straightening up from where he had been sweeping out some of the lower down cages. 

“I don’t know.” Noah shrugs and then turns to walk towards the part of the shop that houses the bowtruckles. Albus follows, hurrying and worried that there is genuinely something wrong. If there is, it would be his fault for sort of half wishing it so he could get to see Scorpius again. 

“What do you think?” Noah asks when they reach the cages, and Albus leans in close so he can hear. He frowns, because he can’t hear anything out of the ordinary, until there is a tiny little squeak and relief floods through him. 

“It’s okay Noah, he’s just got hiccups.” 

“Like people get?” 

“Yeah, animals can get them too. It’s nothing to worry about.” Albus tries to sound reassuring without being patronizing and he thinks he’s nailed it because Noah nods in satisfaction before turning back to the cage. 

“Shall I make him jump? My dad makes me jump when I have hiccups, and they normally go away.” 

“I wouldn’t if I were you, some bowtruckles can get scared very easily.” 

“Oh.” Noah sounds despondent, and Albus is almost sorry except he knows that this bowtruckle (whom the staff fondly refer to as Arbor) has an extremely nervous disposition. “How else can we make them go away?” 

“I think they’ll have to go away by themselves, I’m afraid.” 

“What if they don’t? There was a girl who had hiccups for years and years without them going away!” Noah looks distressed, and Albus feels his heart clench slightly. 

“I’m sure it will be okay,” he says, and then he realises he might be depriving himself of something. “But I could call a Healer if you think it would help?” 

Noah nods enthusiastically, and Albus feels slightly guilty at using the worries of an eight-year-old for his own gain. But then he pictures Scorpius’ sunny smile and warm brown eyes and the guilt immediately fades. 

“Okay, I will do. If you’re gone before he gets here then come back tomorrow, and I’m sure Arbor will be fine.” Albus says, opening the cage and holding out his hand for Arbor to climb into. He is fairly sure Arbor is eyeing him critically. 

“Yes, I know you’re fine, but this is for Noah okay?” Albus mutters to Arbor, cradling him close to his chest and walking towards the backroom. 

“Albus, what are you doing?” Willow calls, and Albus stops in his tracks. He’s not sure how he can justify this to his boss. He takes a deep breath and turns around. 

“Arbor’sgothiccupsandI’mjusttakinghimtothebackroomtowaitfortheHealer.” he says quickly, and immediately dodges away as a customer captures Willow’s attention. 

When Albus reaches the backroom, he lets Arbor down onto one of the little tables and pulls out his wand. The beaded curtain clatters behind him, and for one wild second he thinks that Scorpius has turned up out of pure intuition. But when he turns around, he sees Willow - her arms crossed but her expression soft. 

“Everything okay?” Albus squeaks. 

Willow sighs and uncrosses her arms. “Are you okay Albus? I’ve noticed you've been calling the sanctuary out a lot more than you used to. Whatever is going on with you, you can talk to me about it if you want to and if there’s no one else. Is it an anxiety thing or something? Because I want to help you before you completely drain the menagerie bank accounts on entirely mundane and manageable ailments and injuries, okay?” 

Albus opens and closes his mouth a couple of times, feeling entirely sick. He hadn’t thought of it that way before; his desire to ask Scorpius out on a date is damaging the shop. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think of it like that. I’ll go back out there.” he gabbles, scooping Arbor up off the table and making to go back out into the shop. 

“Hey, calm down,” Willow catches him by the arm and he stops trying to escape. His heart rate is a little higher and his breathing a little faster than normal too; he absolutely hates upsetting people. “It’s okay. I’m not telling you off or reprimanding you or anything. I might have done, but you’re wonderful with the creatures and I know it’s only because of how worried you are about them isn’t it?” 

Albus nods dumbly, not trusting himself to say anything. There is a second entirely different, much larger reason why he keeps calling Scorpius here but he is definitely not saying that out loud. And especially not to his boss. 

“Call them just this once, but from now on will you come and see me before you do? Because I guarantee you I’ll be able to help.” Willow says kindly, and Albus can feel himself blushing slightly. She’s being so kind to him, and concerned over him, when the only real problem is his ineptitude at asking out cute boys on dates. He nods though, instead of imparting that on her. She smiles kindly at him, and then she’s gone through the curtain. 

Albus silently deposits Arbor back on the table and picks up his wand again. He casts the Patronus, and his albatross appears suddenly. “Can you go to the sanctuary please and find Scorpius? Tell him that I have a bowtruckle in need of a look over.” 

The albatross swoops out of the window, and Albus goes to take a seat at the table that Arbor is sitting on top of. 

“I’ve got to do it this time, Arbor. I just have to.” he whispers. Unsurprisingly, Arbor does not reply. 

He isn’t waiting long – Scorpius never takes long to get here, unlike some of the other Healers, and it’s always soon enough that Albus is hopeful Scorpius wants to see him too – before the beaded curtain clatters again. 

“Hello again, Albus!” Scorpius is always cheerful, and always greets Albus with a smile, and he always makes Albus smile too – even if Albus is in a foul mood for one reason or another. 

“Hi Scorpius.” Albus replies, standing up from his chair as Scorpius comes over to him. 

“What can I do for you this time?” Scorpius asks, and if anyone had said it then Albus might think they were being sarcastic or exasperated but Scorpius is never anything less than kind and indulgent. 

“I have a bowtruckle with hiccups, I really think you should take a look at him.” Albus says, and he toes the floor slightly as he realises how flimsy and ridiculous his excuses for getting Scorpius here are becoming. 

“Okay, no problem.” Scorpius smiles and makes his way over to the table. “Is this him?” 

“Yes, that’s Arbor.” 

“His name is Arbor? That’s adorable.” Scorpius says, turning to Albus before looking back down to the bowtruckle, who is preening his leaves like he knows he is being talked about. 

“Thanks.” Albus mumbles. Scorpius picks Arbor up and cradles him gently in his hand. 

“Hey little guy. I think you’re okay aren’t you?” he whispers softly, and Albus knows that if this were one of those Muggle fairy tale cartoons he watches with Lily then small pink hearts would be floating above his head about now. 

Scorpius gently pokes and prods at Arbor, who is still squeakily hiccuping, and Albus is entirely impressed that he’s managing to do it without getting swiped at with Arbor’s long twig-like fingers. Albus has made that mistake in the past, by accident of course, and it surprised him how much it stung for days after. 

“Albus, I think he’s okay.” Scorpius says after a couple of minutes, turning back to Albus with his Arbor-filled hand outstretched. Arbor immediately jumps and clings onto Albus’ arm before shimmying up his sleeve to sit on his shoulder. 

“Do you think so?” Albus asks, turning his head and going slightly cross eyed to look at the bowtruckle who is now happily swinging his tiny feet. 

Scorpius nods. “I really hope you don’t mind me saying but I think you need to relax a little bit Albus. You’re a bit paranoid about the health of your animals, and I get it, that’s perfectly understandable, but there are some things that are normal. Like hiccups.” 

Albus suddenly feels ashamed of how often he has dragged Scorpius here, and how much of Scorpius’ time he has probably wasted. He can feel the tips of his ears burning out of embarrassment. 

“I’m so sorry Scorpius. I know I should relax a bit and I will honestly try.” Albus says, because he knows he’s never going to pluck up the courage to ask Scorpius out on a date. And it will be too painful for him if Scorpius keeps coming and going. And if he’s not going to, then he’s going to stop creating excuses for Scorpius to come over; it will be too painful for him to watch Scorpius keep coming and going and not being brave enough to say anything. But isn’t that the story of Albus’ life? Not being brave enough to stick his neck out on a limb, not even if it gives him the chance to be the happiest he could be for a long time. 

“It’s okay, Albus, honestly. We all get worried about the creatures in our care.” Scorpius so still gentle and understanding, and Albus nods because he doesn’t trust himself to say anything. 

“See you soon.” Scorpius continues when it becomes clear Albus isn’t going to say anything. 

“See you.” Albus’ voice is embarrassingly scratchy, and Scorpius smiles softly before turning to leave the room. 

As he watches Scorpius walk away, Albus feels a sharp tug by his right ear. 

“Ow!” he involuntarily exclaims, turning his head to see Arbor, tiny hands in his curls. 

“Are you okay?” Scorpius comes back in the room at the sound of Albus’ distress. 

“Arbor just pulled my hair!” Albus exclaims, disgruntled, and he can see a smile dancing across Scorpius’ face. 

“What did he do that for? Have you annoyed him?” 

“I don’t know!” Albus looks at Arbor again, who has removed his hands from Albus’ hair and has crossed his little arms. The expression on his face is nothing less than irritation. 

“Well whatever it was don’t do it again!” Scorpius says, and the laughter in his voice is clear. 

“That’s great advice Scorpius thanks.” Albus says drily, and Scorpius does laugh out loud this time. 

“Don’t irritate him! I’ve been on the receiving end of a bowtruckle attack once and it was _not_ fun.” Scorpius continues with a grimace. 

“Tell me about it! This guys sister took a swipe out of my hand once and I couldn’t bend my fingers for days!” 

“I love them, but it’s always better to stay on their good side.” 

“Definitely.” Albus agrees emphatically, nodding. 

“Right, now I know you’re not being killed I better get going. See you!” 

“Bye!” 

As soon as Scorpius is out of the room, Albus feels another painful tug on his hair. 

“Ouch! What is _wrong_ with you?” Albus asks crossly, picking Arbor up of his shoulder and holding him at eye level in his hands. 

Arbor has crossed his arms again, and is staring stony faced at Albus. 

“What?” Albus repeats. Arbor looks at him pointedly and then stands up and turns to face the way Scorpius has gone, tugging on Albus fingers. Albus suddenly realises what Arbor is trying to tell him. 

“You want me to go after him don’t you?” Albus asks, and Arbor turns back round to face him. Albus is fairly certain his tiny face is showing approval. 

“Okay.” Albus whispers, and brings his hand back up so that Arbor can sit back on his shoulder. He immediately feels a soft tugging on his hair, and he thinks that Arbor is getting ready in case Albus wimps out again. 

Albus quickly makes his way out of the backroom and hurries out of the front door of the menagerie. He spots the unmistakable blond of Scorpius’ hair and allows himself a second to breath. 

He’s never been brave enough to do this, not really, and he doesn’t want to add another name to the list of people he’s been too scared to get to know. And although Albus has marched out of the menagerie like he knows what he’s about to say and do, he doesn’t really. He wants a moment to take stock and think of a plan. Arbor seems to realise he needs some time, as his grip tightens in Albus’ hair but there’s no painful pulling. 

When it becomes clear that his mind has abandoned him, Albus stumbles after Scorpius anyway, thinking that he can just make up something on the spot. 

“Scorpius!” Albus shouts, and time seems to slow down for him as Scorpius stops in his tracks and turns around.

“Albus? Is everything okay?” Scorpius sounds genuinely concerned and confused, and Albus immediately feels the light prickling of anxiety sweat wash over him. 

“Hi, sorry, yes everything’s fine.” Albus manages to stutter out, and then falls silent. 

“Are you... sure?” Scorpius asks after a couple of seconds of silence in which all that’s happened is Albus’ heart race has increased what feels like tenfold. 

“Yes, yes, sorry, right. I just, I need to tell you something.” Albus begins when it becomes clear that he absolutely needs to say _anything._

“Okay, I’m listening.” Scorpius says, smiling indulgently in the way that he does, and Albus feels himself relax slightly. This is _Scorpius_ , who is always kind and calm and gentle; Albus knows that if the worst comes to the worst then he will be let down gently. 

“I’m... I’ve been calling you out from the sanctuary for ridiculous reasons because I really like you and I’ve been trying to ask you out on a date but I keep losing my nerve. So, this is me trying not to lose my nerve. Do you wanna, maybe go out for coffee or, or dinner or something sometime?” Albus says in a rush, twisting his fingers together and thinking it’s a miracle that he didn’t trip over his words. When he falls silent he looks down to the floor, unsure and unwilling to find out what Scorpius is going to say. 

“Albus.” Scorpius says softly, and Albus looks up slightly to see that Scorpius is smiling toothily. Albus feels an identical, involuntary smile spread across his face too as he lifts his head up to look at Scorpius properly. “I would love to. I’d love to go out with you sometime.” 

“Really?” Albus blurts out before he can stop himself, his heart soaring at the words. He thinks he’s done the right thing too, as he feels Arbor’s grip loosen in his hair. 

Scorpius nods. “Do you think I come and see every person who’s worried that their bowtruckle has hiccups? Usually I would just send a Patronus back and tell them what to do but… well I kept coming back to the menagerie because I really wanted to see you. I really like you.” 

Albus can’t stop the smile on his face even if he wanted to. “So, tomorrow evening then? Do you maybe want to go to that French bistro for dinner?” 

“I would love to.” 

\- - - 

Tomorrow evening, Albus will hurry home from work and quickly throw on the outfit he has been thinking about all day. He will spend longer on his hair than he ever has done before, and clean his teeth three times. 

He will turn up at the restaurant early, worried that he’ll be late, and then worry because Scorpius isn’t there. 

But he need worry for nothing, because Scorpius will turn up looking beautiful and Albus will forget his nerves entirely. 

They will walk into the restaurant together in a silence full of shy smiles and secret looks at each other, both wanting to be the first one to speak but neither entirely sure what to say. 

Until they are seated that is, at a small table outside on the veranda, and in the dying August heat they will talk about everything and anything. Scorpius will finally tell Albus all about Beauxbatons and growing up in an entirely different country, and Albus will impart all the wisdom he has to offer about Hogwarts. They will talk about all the pets they’ve ever had, and their hopes and dreams for the future. 

They will be the last people to leave the restaurant, both of them wishing that this night would never end. 

As they are walking back to the Leaky Cauldron for a quick drink before departing (Albus surprises himself by having that idea), Albus will keep shooting small looks at Scorpius, itching to take his hand but not sure if he should. It is when they pass the outside of the menagerie that he will finally pluck up the courage to entwine his fingers with Scorpius’. He will not miss the smile that graces Scorpius’ features, nor the small squeezes they keep giving each other as they continue walking. 

They have a quick drink at the Leaky Cauldron, this time discussing their favourite books and the things they would do to pass the time at school. 

And then finally, Albus and Scorpius will take a step back out into the almost deserted street. Albus wants to kiss Scorpius so desperately, has wanted to since the moment they sat down in the restaurant, but he will wonder if he is being too forward. But Scorpius will take both of Albus’ hands in his and tell him what a wonderful evening he has had with a soft expression on his face, his eyes full of nothing but warmth and honesty. Albus will smile and say the same and, plucking up all the courage he has, will kiss Scorpius goodnight. 

And this time, he will do all that without the help of a bowtruckle. 

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed, I love this AU and Magizoologist!Albus has a huge place in my heart. Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!
> 
> You can find me on Twitter at: @scorperion21


End file.
